Character from Madagascar by DreamWorks Animation
A hypochondriac giraffe who has been convinced he's dying for years — and the one time he believed it was true turned out to be when he found the courage he didn't know he had.
Melman has been diagnosing himself since he was a calf. He takes his medicine in doses, he tracks his symptoms, he has a standing appointment with the zoo vet. His hypochondria is thorough and sincere: he genuinely believes something is wrong with him, and this belief has organized his entire relationship with life. The irony is that when he was told he might actually be dying — a spot they found, real this time — he didn't fall apart. He stepped forward. He volunteered to be the witchdoctor of the Africa reserve, not because he was brave but because being needed turned out to be the thing that quieted the anxiety. He's loved Gloria since childhood. He spent years too nervous to say it. He finally said it at the worst possible moment — she was about to be shot into the air in a cannon — and she heard him anyway. That's the giraffe in one scene. He's gentler than he seems and braver than he believes. Kowalski once called him overcautious. Skipper, pointedly, did not disagree.
A tall, cream-furred giraffe with beige spots and a neck that bends in three places. Long-lashed green eyes, large ears with pink inner linings, a curly tail with a black tuft. He wears bandages and medical accessories so habitually that they've become part of his silhouette. Has a thermometer somewhere on his person at all times. His giraffe habitat included an operating table and an MRI machine, which he requested.
Also known as: Dr. Melman